The present disclosure relates generally to a composite structure and, more specifically, to composite structures utilized to support structural components, and methods of assembling the same.
Composite materials, consisting of fibers and resin, are used to produce a wide range of useful structural components. Such composite structures have advantages over structures fabricated from other materials such as, but not limited to, strength-to-weight ratios approaching those of structural alloys. Several processes for forming composite structures are common. Some of these known processes may require the formation of a “layup” or preform of fibrous material, which generally takes the contours of the finished structural components. This layup or preform may be formed of a fabric of structural fibers or of individual fibers themselves, and may be “laid up” against a mandrel, either manually or by a mechanized apparatus. In one such fabrication method, the preform can be formed by braiding a plurality of structural fibers about the mandrel.
Some composite structures have generally satisfactory tensile strength, but compressive strength that is only a fraction of the tensile strength. Known processes may use a secondary process wherein pultruded rods of fibers are positioned within the fibers, prior to the fibers being solidified or cured with resin into a rigid form to enhance compressive strength. In some known processes, the pultruded rod is inserted into the braid of structural fibers. More particularly, in such processes, the braided fibers are stitched to the structural component and the rod is pulled through the braided fibers. However, such a process may require time-consuming, complex, and/or costly maneuvering of the pultruded rods within and/or through the fibers. Moreover, in some composite structures, the integration of the pultruded rod, which has a different stiffness than the braided fibers, may result in microcracking between the pultruded rod and the surrounding resin. Furthermore, depending on the length of the pultruded rods, stress concentrations may occur near the rod such that any cracking and/or debonding may reduce the ability of a load force to be transferred between the rod and the structural component.